Keto Broccoli Chicken Cheese Bake (Dairy and Non-Dairy)

It’s recipe day and boy, do I have something everyone will love.

Once upon a time, I used to make a casserole with chicken, broccoli, Ritz crackers and cream of chicken soup. It was one of those dishes that I’d serve the family whenever we were in need of some serious comfort food.

My kids, who were under the age of 10 at the time, loved it. It was one of those meals when I didn’t have to stand at the table to be sure they were actually eating it instead of trying to feed it to the dog. Full bellies and happy campers all the way around.

I haven’t made it in years. I stopped using things like canned soups, gluten-filled crackers and other questionable ingredients so this dish was pushed into the Land of Lost Recipes.

To be honest, I hadn’t even thought about this casserole until I was at a loss for dinner ideas. I had chicken. I had broccoli. I had the makings of almond crackers. I just needed to figure out a way to throw some ingredients together in an attempt to recreate this long, lost love.

I did have some challenges, though. My daughter is dairy-free and I couldn’t very well make something potentially this great for the rest of us without making something equally as tasty for her. That’s love, people.

Making old favorites keto-friendly (with a dash of dairy-free love)

What happened in the kitchen that day was borderline magical. I was channeling some serious Julia Child, without wine no less!

The overall execution to this meal, whether you opt for the dairy-free version or the traditional bake, isn’t difficult. It does take a little planning but I promise, it’s totally worth it.

I usually make this when I have an afternoon of laundry or other chores that keep me around the house. I start by making the crackers. While they are baking, I season the chicken breasts and bake them in the dish I’ll be using for the casserole later.

After the crackers come out of the oven, I crank up the temp to 400 and bake the chicken breasts. When those are done, I let them cool. If I have things to do, I leave them and come back to them when I’m ready to get dinner going.

Once the crackers and chicken breasts are done, putting the rest of the ingredients takes less than 10 minutes and the additional baking time is around 30 minutes. So, not a lot of time for great comfort food.

You could easily pre-make the crackers and chicken the day before to cut down on the time you spend in the kitchen. Keep in mind, this meal is even better as leftovers, cold, straight out of the fridge, the next day.

I’m including both my recipes-so if you’re dairy-free, or have somebody in your life that is, everybody can enjoy some comfort food.